Mercer University’s Office of Career Services held its annual Fall Career Expo in the University Center’s Heritage Hall Sept. 26.
Undergraduate students and alumni had the opportunity to speak with representatives from several local and national organizations and submit resumes for possible employment and further education.
Some students were on the other side of the expo, assisting Career Services. One such student was sophomore Shannon Mills, a Management and Finance double major.
“I would say the turnout has been pretty decent,” said Mills when asked how many students attended the Expo. “Somewhere around… 200 plus.”
Every student who attended had several options from many different career fields to choose from.
“We have about forty (businesses in attendance),” explained Mills. “We have businesses from all sectors of the college. We have engineering, teaching abroad, insurance companies. We have ranges everywhere from CNN to Waffle House.”
Groups represented at the Expo included everyone from Aflac and GEICO to local groups such as College Hill Alliance and the Georgia Department of Labor. Not only were these organizations seeking students to employ full time, but also for temporary, seasonal, and part-time employment.
Some groups also provided co-ops and internships. Students seeking more educational opportunities could discuss their futures with representatives from Becker Professional Education, Walden University, and the Mercer University Stetson School of Business & Economics.
In addition to offering this opportunity, Career Services also provided a list of helpful tips for those in attendance at the event. The booklet covered not only how to approach a potential employer, but also what questions to ask and how to follow-up on the interview in the proceeding days.
Don Holcombe, an engineering manager at CNN, had plenty of advice to give students and anyone else seeking employment in the country’s current economic situation.
“It’s no different than anything else,” explains Holcombe. “Double check your resume, make sure there’s no typos, and cover all your bases.”
For this potential employer, however, it comes down to one thing: passion.
“You’ve got to be passionate about your degree,” said Holcombe. “You have to have the understanding that if you can’t backup what a piece of paper says, it’s only a piece of paper.”
Career Services hosts annual Fall Career Expo at University Center
